The idea of Derrick Rose coming back to lead the Bulls to glory this season is sounding more and more like a figment of somebody’s imagination. Certainly not his imagination.

Judging by what Rose recently told USA Today, a return to action isn’t close to a given. That’s interesting, considering Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has repeated, ad nauseam, that Rose is “on schedule,’’ whatever that means.

Does the following sound like someone who has any idea where he’s going to be on May 1, let alone March 1?

“I’m not coming back until I’m 110 percent,’’ he said. “Who knows when that can be? It can be within a couple of weeks. It could be next year. It could be any day. It could be anytime. It’s just that I’m not coming back until I’m ready.”

Thank goodness he didn’t say 120 percent. Rose said his readiness is “probably in the high 80s. Far away. Far away.”

Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose says he’s “far away” from returning from knee surgery.
Sidelined all season, Rose has been practicing and traveling with the team. But in an interview with USA Today posted on Tuesday, he says he has no specific timetable for a return.

-- AP

What Thibodeau and the team have updated as far as his progress was that Rose was going through full contact in practice for several weeks now with no setbacks, but because of the schedule and all the injuries, had yet to go through five-on-five full scrimmages. Players have been brought in early for extra work, and Rose has faced off against different teammates in those situations with no setbacks.

“The big thing is to understand in a practice you’re never going to get to an NBA-game-like intensity,’’ Thibodeau said. “You’re going to strive to get as close as possible, but you’re not going to get there. We’ll know. He’s just got to keep doing the things he’s been doing and it’s going to work out fine.’’